### 120

The taproom is almost empty, save for a couple of aged villagers who are playing samor at a table near the tavern’s crackling wood fire. They smile cordially and bid you good day. One of them calls out ‘Kenga, you’ve got a customer,’ and a wiry old man in an apron appears from a doorway behind the counter.

‘How may I serve you, sir?’ he says, benignly.

You cast your eye along his shelves that are filled with bottles and small casks of wine, spirits, and exotic liqueurs. There are a myriad to choose from and they come from all over Magnamund. On one of the middle shelves you see a tall dark-green bottle that you recognise immediately; it is Moyturan Brandy from Sommerlund. A sudden wave of homesickness makes you swallow hard.

‘I’ll have a glass of that one please,’ you say, and the tavern keeper smiles.

‘Ah, I see you are a man of impeccable taste, good sir. A fine spirit from a fine land.’

Kenga takes the bottle down from the shelf and sets it on the counter. He produces a bulb-shaped glass and tugs the cork from the bottle. When he upends it, only a few drops of brandy emerge, barely enough to moisten the bottom of the glass.

‘Forgive me,’ he says, now embarrassed and a little flustered. ‘I have another on the top shelf. Please allow me to fetch it down for you. It’ll take but a moment or two.’

The old tavern keeper retrieves a short ladder from under the counter and sets it against the shelves. Hastily, he climbs up and stretches for the spare bottle. Unfortunately, in his haste he overreaches, loses his balance, and comes crashing down to land with a muffled thud behind the counter. His failed attempt to retrieve the spare bottle has moved a cask that was resting alongside. It falls off the shelf and comes hurtling down towards the old man’s skull. The brass-banded cask is too heavy for you to use your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus to deflect it in mid-fall.

If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Magi-Magic, turn to 281.

If you do not, pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, you may add 3 to this number.

If your total is now 5 or lower, turn to 306.

If it is 6 or higher, turn to 6.